I finished #3's purse yesterday. She chose a nice bright blue and wanted more of a clutch shape (longer and shorter) but with a cross body strap. No clasp. Somehow when I attached the shoulder strap it didn't look right at the top where it comes off the purse, but I corrected it by adding a cute little bow to either side.

#3's purse - completed

I was several inches into the next bag project (for #2) when I made the decision to pull it apart and start over. It was just too big, and looked like it was going to be ungainly to carry around. So now I'm a little slow and behind, but it'll be better in the end.

Baby Sage is adorable, as always. Her little ears perk up whenever she hears my voice. A couple days ago I left a blanket in there that didn't fit in the laundry load. Sage loved it. She was able to move around a lot more without getting cold on the floor. I felt a little bad when I finally threw it in the wash yesterday morning. Sage stays either on the carpeted base of the cat tree, or under the fish tank over by the heat vent. Floki seems to be a good momma. As much as she leaves Sage alone, I think it only looks odd because she's alone. If it were a little pile of kittens napping together it would seem less strange, but little Sage, laying all alone, seems so sad. She's a sweet little soul, and she's got a beautiful personality. I'm looking forward to when she's a bit bigger and a little more interactive.

Sage (19 days old - photo taken 3/12/18)

Today, while at the feed store to get more rabbit food, we stopped by the garden section. I joke with my husband that this competitor of his store will get in seed potatoes before his store does. They didn't have any seed potatoes, but they did have a display of dormant fruit trees. They were only $17.99 each and decent sized. Much to my surprised delight, Tony said to go ahead and get some. "An orchard is an investment." he said. So today I brought home two Contender peach trees, two Kieffer pear trees, and one Methley plum tree. And so our journey into starting our orchard has begun! Now I need to figure out what to do with them until the snow melts. For now they're in the unheated entry way. They're dormant, pruned down and no leaves, but they were indoors when I bought them.

In researching my varieties a little more, I've found that plums and cherries are safe to plant in proximity to black walnut, but apple trees can't be near black walnut. The problem is that I've found different lists that put peaches and pears on both sides of this list. Can they be near black walnut or not? Since the area I had set aside for an orchard is bordered on one side by black walnut trees and boxed on on the other side by water, I'm realizing that I don't have nearly the orchard space I had originally thought I had. Once you measure out 50 feet from the black walnut tree line, you're already in the middle of the orchard space. While I'd love to have additional trees in that area to block certain views, it's not worth the financial loss if the new trees don't thrive.

After much thought, checking and re-checking my aerial map, measuring several times, and consulting with my husband, we have decided to change our plans a little. Instead of using the east field as an orchard, we are going to use the northern end of the front fields. This will also add an additional sound and vision barrier, while providing the trees the furthest positioning from any black walnuts, while also giving them a south-facing location with wind block to the north. I don't think it will take away enough from the northern fields to make a dent in our potential garden space there anyway, and it means even more possible space for apple trees to be added in! The east field will now be used for black walnut - tolerant vegetables, such as corn and squash and beans. It will still end up used to grow food, just not in the way I had originally planned. I think this will actually work out better anyway.

Back at the feed store in the garden section, #5 and I stopped to look at some of the yard decor. He liked the zombie gnome, but it was expensive ($40). We ended up bringing home two little sleeping dragons, and a solar-powered fairy house. I am so excited to start gardening.

I'm almost done with #3's purse. I just need to add the strap, but I can't measure for it because she's off spending the night somewhere tonight. Perhaps I will be able to get that measured out tomorrow and completed Monday.

I'm making plans already for #2's bag. He wants one he can use as a school bag. He's got some pretty elaborate ideas too. He wants a tote kind of like the one I made for #5, but he wants a cross-body strap, a flap closure, and an additional interior pocket for his gaming dice. He needs it to be able to hold all his school stuff, which means adding in additional support somehow. I've got my work cut out for me!

Sage is doing well. She is still mostly in eat or sleep mode, but she has played a few times, and her little claws are sharp! She chews on my lips or my nose when I try to snuggle with her. She's adorable, but still so tiny. It's hard to know how to play with her. I wish she had someone her size to curl up with or play with. She's too small for toys yet, but soon, I'm sure, she will be running around chasing the jingle balls and the mitten toy. I am excited to watch her grow.

I haven't had much down time lately to do any more tomato or pepper research. Every time I attempt to sit down, #5 needs something. And of course he doesn't go to sleep on his own, which means by the time he actually goes to sleep, I'm exhausted and ready for bed too. It's a struggle to have time to write up a blog some days, but here I am, trying to keep my thoughts and projects updated and shared promptly.

Some random ideas floating around in my head currently...

We just bought a length of PVC piping to fit inside an old pair of #1's boots. They will become planters this summer if I can figure out a way to cut the pipe to the proper size. I'm not sure what to plant in them yet... flower, herb, or vegetable?

Pistachio shells - potential craft project, or compost fodder?

Winter sowing experiment I meant to do last year... Big clear tote, drainage holes in bottom, holes in top to let rain and snow in. Fill plastic cups with soil, plant seeds, and line them up in the tote, then use the tote as the greenhouse. This would give individual plants more space, both with roots and with height. Possibly a great idea for peppers and/or tomatoes. Or maybe apple tree seedlings?

Sunflower Bread

I made another loaf of bread today. I mostly followed the instructions for white bread, but instead of 2 Tablespoons of dried milk, I added 2 Tablespoons of almond milk. Instead of 3 Tablespoons of sugar, I added 3 Tablespoons of honey. Then #5 and I added honey-roasted sunflower seeds, since we had several individual packets laying around. We ended up adding 4.8 ounces (according to package sizes) into the mix.

It came out really nice. It smells like sunflower seeds, and it tastes good too. I can't taste any honey at all, but the sunflower definitely came through!

It's been a bit of a busy day today between trips back and forth to a couple appointments and a shopping stop along the way.

The two remaining kittens seem to be doing well. They are content and mostly quiet. Floki and Mabel both lay in the box with them. A couple of times I've found a kitten in the middle of the floor. I'm still not entirely sure which cat is moving them out of the box.

I completed #5's bag this morning, in time for him to bring it to our appointments. He was quite excited to bring his toys with him.

Finished "turtle Bag" for #5

Onward to the next purse project! I started #4's purse the other day but set it aside to finish #5's bag. Now back to her purse.

This morning I went to check on kittens and found just Rosemary and Sage in the box. I admit, my first thought was that Floki had eaten Basil... She did kill kittens in her last litter. Then I heard the weak mew coming from under the fish tank stand a couple feet from the box. There was tiny Basil, chilled and weak, but alive. I don't know which cat pulled him out of the nest box, everyone here has their suspicions... It could be Mabel, grandma to this litter, who has attempted to steal Floki's kittens in the past and has started trying to lay in the box with Floki and the babies. It could be NetherQuartz, who takes any opportunity he can to attempt to treat a wandering kitten like a toy (which is why we moved them to a box they couldn't escape from). Or maybe Floki knows there's something wrong and is moving him out of the box? Or moving him to one of the sideways boxes on the fish tank stand and he fell out? I don't know.

I also don't know how long he'd been out on his own. One of his little toes is swollen, he's got little marks all over him now, and I strongly suspect one of the ladies moved him out of the box and then NetherQuartz tried to "play" with him.

Basil, a little ruffed up, but warming and soon to return to his sisters.

I warmed him back up with my hands before returning him to his sisters, who welcomed him immediately by piling all over him and then sleeping in a heap together.

I again held him to assure that he got some nursing time without his big sisters knocking him down. He always seems to do so well, latching on, good suction, but never any swallowing motions. Below was the photo I took after I snuck my hand away from supporting him and blocking his sisters. They all seemed to be asleep but still attached to momma. The size difference is becoming painfully obvious. Basil is minuscule compared to plump Sage.

Floki (mom) with Sage (fat pink on top), Rosemary (calico in middle), and Basil (skinny one on the bottom). Five days old now.

I went off to do some housework and returned a bit later to find Basil nursing of his own accord. No assistance and he'd found and held a teat against his sisters! Mind it was one of the front ones with less milk, but all the same, my hopes rose. I really hope this little one pulls through... though every ounce of logic and past experience tells me he doesn't stand a chance.

Precious, tiny Basil. I'd like to think he's a calm kitten, but the truth is he's probably just too weak to make much of a fuss.

I did take another brief video today. I suspect it may be the last with three kittens in it. Basil can't hold out forever, and he's so thin now that I have to wonder how he's even here with us still tonight as I type this up before bed. Tony insists he's "looking stronger" and seems "more active" tonight, but I don't see it. I would absolutely love to see Basil grow up and be a spunky, playful, loving soul. I want so badly to see how he does with his bad leg and his nub tail. I want to see if his coat develops colors later or if he will stay white. I want to see him open his eyes, to play with toys, to pounce and play with his sisters.

Tonight I weighed each of the kittens. Sage is 4 ounces, Rosemary is 3 ounces, and Basil is 2 ounces. Why is there such a drastic difference between 2 and 3 ounces, but not between 3 and 4 ounces? Either way, here's the video from today - complete with a cameo from Mabel (their Rex grandma). She saw the box was empty and came to see what I was doing with them.

After completing most of the house chores, I sat down to work more on #5's bag. I got to the point where I could go no farther without the next color, so I texted Tony to let him know what I needed.

When he got home late tonight after working a close shift, I quick did the last four rounds with the new colors. The bag itself is complete. Now I just need to make and attach the straps (they will also be matching Ninja Turtle colors). What a cool creation - and even cooler that I made it up myself. No pattern, no Pintrest photo... just an idea in my head! I hope the straps work the way I think they should.

This bag now measures 17 inches wide by 17 inches deep. It took almost an entire skein of yarn to produce over three days (so far). Tomorrow I plan to do the straps and get a finished photo. Then onward to #4's bag (which I already started while waiting for Tony to bring home the new yarn). Hers will be a cross-body purse with flap and button/loop closure made from variegated pink/purple/blue yarn.

Rosemary has one eye peeking open, and Sage is working on both eyes peeking. Little Basil is still with us as of bedtime tonight. His eyes remain closed for now. This is really early to have eyes starting to open, so I'm not sure what to think of it.

Four Days Old - Eyes are starting to open!

Sage has a dark mark over her nose and under her chin. I suspect this isn't coloring, but instead damage from falling off the cat tree before I was able to convince Floki to keep the babies in a box on the floor.

Today is Floki's third birthday. Happy birthday Floki! She was the runt of the Viking litter, and the sole survivor after her sister (Lagertha) died at 11 weeks old due to a bad reaction to a vaccination. Both of her brothers (Rollo and Ragnar) died as babies (Rollo had birth complications and Henry smothered Ragnar because I felt bad for them and put a blanket in the box).

​I am continuing to make progress with the bag for #5 that I am crocheting with his green yarn. He has asked to have the top rim done in a variegated yarn he found in my closet. He also wants two handles, so it will be more like a toy tote and less like a bag. I guess that means I won't have to create a flap like I put on my purse. That could save me some time!

Green Bag - Day 2

The green bag is currently 8-1/4" deep by 17 inches wide. When I'm done I'm hoping to make it at least 12-16 inches tall. It has to fit all of his Ninja Turtles toys, including both of his TMNT vehicles and all of his actual turtles and their accessories. When I'm done with this project, I think I will try making a purse for #3 or #4 next. If nothing else, it's giving me a sense of purpose in an otherwise stressful time frame.

We were busy today! I had an 11am appointment, then we went shopping. We stopped for cat food and after school snacks, then lunch, stopped by the dentist to pay the bill, ran to Walmart for glue sticks for #1's school project, the post office to check the PO box, and to Petsmart to buy an algae eater.

We brought home one albino bristle-nose pleco, and one green cory. The pleco is tiny, but should grow fast enough given the amount of algae quickly taking over the tank (yes, I put it in the window - knew that was coming). Bristle nose only get up to six inches long as they are a dwarf species. Males get gorgeous bushy "whiskers" on their faces. We had one many years ago we called Mister Whiskers and I adored him. I've named the new one Jon Snow because he's albino. Jon Snow is too small yet to know gender, but as he gets bigger we will know by his beard (or lack thereof). When we arrived at the store, #5 announced he wanted a green fish. For the life of me I couldn't think of a single green colored fish except the green glo-fish, so I told him that probably wasn't going to happen. Then my friend (who works there) pointed out the green cory cats. So #5 named his new cory fish Eaty... "because he eats stuff..." Sounds good to me. Welcome to the family Jon Snow and Eaty!

The post office yielded a much anticipated package. I ordered a live plant from my Listia auctions. A philodendron start. Tiny little thing with two leaves and a clump of dirt. I was so excited I held it in my hand in the sunlight the whole way home. Poor baby was in a dark package for a full week due to mail delays and then not being delivered to the PO box until after the post office closed on Saturday (and was closed on Sunday and we couldn't get to it on Monday). It's alive and well! I've put it temporarily in the kitchen window and will pot it up to something better tomorrow.

We stopped at a couple other places today and I picked up some new seeds. Empress Of India Nasturtium, Royal Burgundy Bush Beans, Midnight Moon Mix Scabiosa, Butter Dish Summer Squash, Blue Bantam Pea (organic), and Baxter's Bush Cherry Tomato (organic). I also picked up a package of "Wild Bird Mixture" seed bombs. They were half off so I wanted to try them out.

Best yet, since tomorrow Tony works a closing shift, we made today our Valentine's date night. We took the oldest child along with to watch the youngest child, and we went to my favorite sushi place. Ok, so it's the only sushi place in Brainerd. If you are in the area, check out Sakura's Express. They have the best teriyaki chicken (come hungry, leave with left overs), and their shrimp tempura roll - Good golly, if they weren't so expensive, I think I'd eat a dozen a day if I had half a chance. Then we went to a movie. We saw Jumanji. The first movie I've seen in theater in over a year. It was hilarious. I loved the characters, I loved the actors. A couple of things left me scratching my head (they do know a helicopter can't fly at a 90-degree angle, right?) but otherwise it was fun to get out of the house and spend some time with Tony - even if we were being tailed by a couple of our kids.

Minnesota hosted the Super Bowl tonight, but the Vikings didn't make it to the game. Too bad really, it would have been nice to play a home game for Super Bowl. Well, at least the commercials were decent, and the game was pretty even throughout (one team didn't stomp the other).

Today #5 wanted to bring his Cheetos to Grandma's house for the Super Bowl party. I assured him Grandma has already stocked up on snacks, and that he didn't need to bring them. They were bought to be part of his daily snack this week. So we called Grandma. Grandma said she didn't have any Cheetos, but she had cheese balls, and those are kind of like Cheetos, just in a different shape. So #5 agreed to leave his Cheetos at home.

When we arrived at Grandma's house, Grandma offered him some snacks and some meatballs. He then asked her for "cheeto meatballs." This is now what he calls cheese balls... Cheeto meatballs.

Grandma's holiday meatballs and #5's "cheeto meatballs"

I'm hoping this week will be "the week" to start winter sowing. The lady who inspired me to start winter sowing recently announced she'd moved across the country and now lives in the desert of Southern California. Well, I'm glad I'm still up here in the colder climate of Minnesota. I don't envy her having to re-learn all of the gardening things that take years to understand... native plants, weather cycles, pests, native pollinators, not to mention the major temperature change! So I wish her luck on her new journey. It adds one more thing for me to be thankful for! At least I'm pretty confident in my native pests, pollinators, and weather patterns. Wishing you lots of luck and love Sheryl! Looking forward to your videos as you learn about your new home!

I haven't been blogging the last few days. My mood has been down in the dumps and I don't want it to spoil my blog posts.

The person I send a stamped envelope to so I could get a bunch of the seeds on my wish list - they disappeared. Never heard anything more from them after I sent them the envelope and stamps. Haven't gotten anything in the mail. Feeling a little taken advantage of. It's been enough time now that I'm pretty sure those seeds aren't coming.

The last hen that we moved from the coop to the bunny barn is doing well. I'm not sure why the colony rabbits are fine in the coop but the chickens were having issues.

I did not get to winter sowing yet. I keep hoping I'll have time, but the kids have kept me on my toes, and it's a full time job just keeping up with cleaning up after them. Perhaps tomorrow #5 and I can get the first containers ready and out the door to start the year.

This weekend, #1 decided to teach me how to play League of Legends. I'm terrible at it, but it's nice to spend some time with her.

I got all 31 containers drilled, dried, and hung up (well, except the one that doesn't have a handle). Now I just need to cut them open and start planting. Maybe next week.

Bedtime tonight was a pleasant surprise. #5 is usually next to impossible to wrangle when it's time to go to sleep. He likes to stay up late and sleep in. I appreciate the sleeping in part. It gives me a chance to get some stuff done in the morning after the older kids go off to school. Tonight he was all tucked in after his third trip to the bathroom and he was looking for another reason to get up again. So I handed him the seed catalog that was on the floor by the bed and told him he could look at it and pick out what he wants to grow in the garden.

Why have I not thought of this before? His exuberance was astounding. You'd think he just won the lottery. He immediately opened it up and started asking questions and pointing out what he wanted to grow. He found the strawberries, and the green beans, the broccoli, and the blackberries. He asked about strawberries and how they grow. Said we'd have to plant the seeds from the harvested strawberries so we could grow enough plants to make enough berries to feed us all and have enough left to dehydrate so we can eat them later. This little guy has got plans!! He said he wanted to grow carrots too, then he found the corn and saw how many versions it came in. He was really excited to see the photo of Oaxacan Green corn. Green is his favorite color presently. I had to rein him in a little - that's a flour corn, not a fresh eating corn. He agreed, he'd rather have a type he can eat fresh. He said "Maybe a yellow or orange kind" (I love that he is thinking in colors).

Then I told him it was time to go to sleep. He wanted to keep perusing the Baker Creek catalog. I told him he could keep it right next to his pillow and that in the morning he could bring it to the table and we could mark all the ones he wants to grow. He was thrilled.

It was still a little struggle to actually get him to sleep, but it wasn't as bad as most nights. So tomorrow we will be looking at seed catalogs. What an awesome discovery! My 4-year-old is excited about seeds and gardening.

On a side note - if anyone happens to have spare seeds for the Oaxacan green corn and you'd be willing to make a 4-year old incredibly happy, I'd love if we could track down a handful of seeds so he can grow green corn. He was so excited about it... even if we can't eat it fresh. Anyone want to donate?

We spent most of today cleaning the house. Catching up on laundry, clearing off the counters, finally putting away the dehydrator and bread machine. We worked on cleaning off the desk, at least partially. We took all the cardboard boxes and broke them down and hauled them out. They will be used as the base for our Back To Eden style gardens we plan to build this year. I helped the boys clean their room, and organized #5's clothing cupboard as last time he brought clean laundry up he just tossed the pile in. He's been rummaging through it to find clothes since, so it was a mess. I got the living room vacuumed, #1 mopped part of the bathroom, and I got Wisp transitioned into a cage. It was getting a little gross having to clean up bunny messes, so she is now contained to a cage so her little fertilizer pellet gifts don't end up all over the kitchen (eewwww). I re-organized our movie collection. Turns out we had quite a few missing disks. No sense keeping the case if there's no disk to go with it. It's no fun to find a movie you want to watch only to realize the disk is missing.

I didn't get to finish mopping the kitchen floor yet, and I've still got some more dishes to wash (does it ever end with a big family?). I didn't get to giving the dog a bath, but it's still on the to-do list.

Tomorrow will be a long and busy day for reasons I still can't discuss. If you're of the praying sort, we'd appreciate your prayers. Or your good vibes, or your thoughts, or whatever you believe in. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we journey down a difficult road (in private for now). Thank you.

When I wasn't running after #5, I spent most of today researching tomato varieties. It's my goal to get at least a basic description of each of the 279 varieties in my seed stash... I think that's how many tomatoes I'm up to now. Starting alphabetically, I'm into the C's now. This should give me a better idea of the varieties I have available so I can make a better educated decision on which ones to grow each year.

In previous years I have found a few that I didn't care for, and one that I absolutely will not plant again. I hated Homestead tomatoes. They tasted like store-bought. Yuck! I haven't had luck with white varieties as they tend to go bad before we get a chance to try them (zero shelf life on the Great Whites we grew a few years ago). I have largely been putting off green tomatoes for a while now. If it doesn't show me it's ready to pick - I won't stop to check ripeness, and I'm afraid it would just be a complete waste as the green ones pass their ripe stage and rot on the vines while I'm fawning over my pretty pinks and stripes.

I have had a few that were winners. I got some seeds labeled "Pink Sunshine" from wintersown, and they were wonderful. Unfortunately, I planted my seeds and then the ones I saved the second year all turned black. Now I'm stuck growing out my seed mix in hopes of regrowing my favorite variety. It doesn't seem to exist anywhere else, as I have been unsuccessful in tracking down any other source. And the blondkopfchen was so productive it was stunning! It produced enough to keep my kids eating tomatoes all year. between these two varieties, even my "I don't like tomatoes" kids were happily munching on tomatoes in the garden. We also grew a variety called Solanum spontaneum that was supposed to be highly productive. We made the mistake of planting them at my parents' house and the deer got most of them, which had us fighting over the few tiny tomato berries that managed to grow through the fence and out of the reach of the deer. Those were wonderful too.

So we are starting to gain a "plant this one again" and a "no thank you" list over the years. I'm not saying I wouldn't try white tomatoes again, or green tomatoes in the future, but I certainly will never plant Homestead tomatoes again. Bland! I also don't like that determinate varieties produce all at once. This would be great if we were canning or making sauce (which is the plan for the future), but when it's fresh eating tomatoes, it gets monotonous. I prefer my indeterminate varieties where we can eat one from this plant and a few from that plant and then try another variety from another plant and it gives the plants time to ripen the next fruit.

I think this year we might again try some side-by-side trials. I had wanted to do them before but either seeds didn't come up, or we had to change plans due to a move... But next year we should be in the clear!

I want to try three versions of pear tomato. We have Chocolate, Red, and Yellow pear, and I want to grow them out in a row to try them, literally side by side. I'm also considering a similar head-to-head with cherry tomatoes. We have black cherry, chocolate cherry, and red and yellow cherry varieties. I'm most interested in the two dark ones, but it wouldn't be a fair contest without the more classic colors too. I want to try a few different paste tomatoes too, just to see which ones taste better and which ones produce better. Cow's Tit is definitely on that list, but I'm not sure what other varieties to include against it.

Today I sent #3 back into the space to see if she could fetch a container from one of the boxes of freeze dried food. Unfortunately four of the cases are stashed so well, they cannot be reached. She did manage, after several minutes of fighting with a box, to remove one large can of rice and chicken.

The label fell off the can when she touched it. Guess the food stores better than the glue on the labels.

I sent an email to the company with the code from the bottom of the can to see how old it is. They have a 30 year flavor guarantee, so I was wondering if they'd replace it if it tasted funny.

The gentleman who's name appeared on the package died in 1996, the to/from is stamped onto the box several times, and the address is the man's name, c/o his business, with city/state/zip, but no numerical address. Add in the fact that three of the boxes are stashed behind heating duct work, indicating the house was literally being upgraded around these boxes... I suspect these boxes may be older than I am.

Since we already had the can out, and I hadn't put anything in the crock pot for dinner, we figured why not? Let's try some really old freeze-dried emergency rations...

Dried meal in a can

#4 used a can opener to carefully remove the top of the can while I started the water boiling. The contents took up about 3/4 of the can, and it smelled alright. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it looked fine.

We added the boiling water, stirred it up, and set the table while we waited the ten minutes for the food to rehydrate. It ended up looking a little plain, and the kids were hesitant to eat it at first.

Re-hydrated and ready to serve

I dished everyone up a small portion, and the older kids waited for me to taste it first. Tony was on the phone by this time, on his way home, and said "So if I come home and everyone is sick, I'll know not to eat the food."

I took a bite at the same time as #4 and #5. It was delicious! The only one that didn't care for it was #5, and he turns his nose up at most dinners (he's a breakfast boy). Tonight #1, #4, and I all had seconds. #2 had three portions. And there was still enough for Tony when he came home! That means we got 12 portions out of the big can.

​Now, you might be wondering - where do I go to get some freeze dried emergency rations that will taste that delightful in 30+ years? Well, my friends, you are in luck! Mountain House sells their products on their website, but their food is actually cheaper to buy through Amazon (affiliate link below).

We will be keeping the remaining cans where they are. Partially because they're virtually impossible to get to. But really, it's good to know that we have emergency food in case there is ever a time when we really are in a bad situation and cannot afford food, or we get snowed in for more than a few days, or whatever else might come up. I had always hoped one day to have an emergency pantry. Something with canned vegetables and such from our garden, and extra bits of stuff here and there that we've been able to save and store away. It's never happened, largely because we don't have the extra money to buy things, and I've never tried canning (yet). We also eat - a lot - and the idea of having more than we can eat has been a foreign concept for most of my adult life. Until I started gardening, that is. The meaning of abundance is found in over planting a garden. Next year I want to work on preserving those harvests for even longer. Imagine how much more I can grow if I know how to store it, and with all the more space we have now. These freeze dried rations will be the foundation from which I will build my own pantry with foods I grow and can myself.

Which leads me to a thought in the back of my head... Now we have chickens and Josh the goose... While the ducks will likely leave my garden alone (they're supposed to eat bugs from the garden but leave the plants alone), chickens are known for destroying gardens, and Josh - well, he destroyed every pepper and okra plant we had this fall... How in the world am I going to keep them all out? I can't afford fencing, and I don't want to coop them all up - I believe in free-range if it's safe. Something I will continue to ponder. Perhaps some pallets and metal fence posts are in order.

And in other news... I am an admin for a Facebook pets group. Someone posted bloodhound puppies yesterday. I approved the ad after admiring the pictures. My parents always joked that when my mom gets her deck, my dad can have his bloodhound. These are two things they've both wanted for a long time. This summer, my mom got her deck built. So every time I see bloodhound puppies for sale, I think about my parents' agreement.

Well, Facebook removed the ad for some reason (as they sometimes do in an attempt to prevent animal sales), so the lady sent me a message to ask why her ad was removed. We got to talking, and I complimented her pups and told her about my parents' deal. She said she sometimes takes in surrenders too, and she just happened to have one now. A one year old purebred bloodhound that she sold as a pup. The owner had a drug problem and went to jail, so the dog came back to the breeder. Now she was trying to find her a home, for a fee much smaller than a bloodhound pup sells for. So I did what any good daughter would do... I forwarded the photo to my mom and reminded her that she got her deck... So dad should get his bloodhound.

My mom contacted the breeder, and they chatted. Then my mom told my brother she wanted to buy a bloodhound for my dad for Christmas. Being the voice of reason, my dear brother told mom she needed to talk to dad first and not just spring it on him. After that summer we lost three big dogs to different issues, he swore off ever having big dogs again because "digging big holes is too much work."

Tonight my mom showed the photo to my dad, and said "I want to buy this dog for you for Christmas." Much to everyone's delightful surprise, my dad agreed! The bloodhound will be coming home sometime in the next week, whenever they can make the arrangements to pick her up (they are three hours away, but willing to meet part way).

So here I am, worker of miracles. I have hooked my dad up with a dog of a breed he's wanted longer than I can remember, and at a price he could afford. I can hardly wait to hear her braying when we come up the driveway for Christmas. It's been a while since my parents' house was blessed with a hound. Our beagle taught our dalmatian to howl when I was a child. That was beautiful. I wonder if this bloodhound can convince the pugs to howl.

Welcome to the family new bloodhound! You're going to be loved beyond measure. Kids and other dogs to play with, a big fenced area to run and play in, a big house, couches and beds to sleep on, treats and toys to play with, and good food for your belly.

Today Willy, Wonka, and Wisp are 31 days old. That means their momma was set to deliver another litter any day. Upon inspection this morning, I found the nest n the same place she put the last one, and it was wiggling. I grabbed the nest box and started to load the new babies in to bring them into the house to be shelved.

No sooner did I get the first handful of babies into the nest box, Gypsy jumped down from the rafters, into the nest box, and grabbed a baby bunny. It was screaming, she was growling, and I had to pry her jaw open to get the bunny away from her. There was some blood, but within a few minutes the bleeding stopped and I wasn't terribly worried. We've had several bunnies get nipped by momma that did just fine. On the plus side, at least we know Gypsy is a ruthless hunter. She will annihilate any mouse she finds I left the nine new kits in the nest box with the older W litter and went off to cookie day with my mom and aunts (and #5).

I got to my mom's about 11:30 am, my aunts were already there in the middle of baking their first round of cookies. We spent the remainder of the day making all manner of cookies, breaking just once for lunch, working until all but the last two recipes had been completed. They'll try to finish the rest up tomorrow. I got some of each variety and packed up to go home after my aunts left. My mom gave #5 and I a ride home.​As we were heading home, #3 texted me. She was concerned that one of the new bunnies wasn't doing well. It wasn't using its back legs. I asked if it was the one Gypsy got. Yes, it was. When I removed the kit from Gypsy's jaws, she had it by the head. One tooth mark near bunny's eye, and the other near the opposite ear. Neither was particularly deep, so I hadn't really worried about it. I missed the other two puncture wounds. One on the thigh, the other just to the side of the backbone. I can only assume this bunny has suffered a spinal chord injury. It doesn't seem to have any feeling or motion beyond that puncture spot near the spine. I will leave it for a day or two to see if there is any improvement, but between the fact that it's a cat bite (infection risk is high) and the location of the injury (likely spinal damage), I'm not optimistic.

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On our way home we passed a sign that said "Live Nativity, Next Left." My mom said "We should go see that... But we need to get you home..." I looked at her and said, "Mom, take the left." We turned left.

Following a few more signs, and then getting directions from one of the people there to guide traffic, we found the right place. You drive your car through different scenes from the nativity, each with real actors, live animals, and full costume with props.

Now, I am not overly religious, and I will never push my views on anyone else. Tonight was something absolutely spectacular. It was special and touched my soul. It's one thing to hear the story in Sunday school, or to watch a play, or read about it, or watch a documentary. It's another thing entirely to suddenly be immersed in it.

It was just me and my mom tonight, little #5 was fast asleep in the back. We stopped to ask another traffic director when we left if it would be open again. Tomorrow is the last night.

So if you are in the area (or perhaps want to come from out of area), tomorrow is the last night of the Live Nativity in Pillager, Minnesota. It is free, just come between 6pm and 8:30pm and drive through. If you have a smart phone they have a scanner code to tell the story, otherwise they have big boards with the story as you go. It is worth the few minutes to go through it. Bring your kids, and make it a family outing. Tomorrow night Tony and I will go through with all of the kids. I am still in absolute awe of what I saw tonight. It's cold out, and these folks are dressed up and sharing their holiday love with anyone who wants to come through - free of charge. I've rarely wanted to cry tears of joy, but for whatever reason, this event made me smile from ear to ear, and I was choking back tears through it all. To see a live representation of a story I've heard since I was a child is utterly phenomenal. It was well put together, and all I can say is that I loved the experience. I am so thankful we took the left.

Nine new babies. Injured kit is top middle, you can see the mark on the lower back where the cat got it.

Tomorrow is cookie day. I had every intention of dealing with rabbits today, but then little #5 asked me to come cuddle with him. I couldn't say no. I mean, how many parents out there would love to spend their day cuddling with their kids instead of going to work? And how many parents missed out on cuddling their kids and would give anything to have that time back? I will take full advantage of cuddle time while he's still small and wants to spend time with me.

So today was all about cuddle time, lounging in the bedroom, and him watching a couple shows on Netflix (we don't have cable). I didn't get much done except for some laundry, but it was worth it to get some one-on-one time just hanging out.

Whisp, 4 weeks + 2 days old, and still tiny enough that you could fit two of her in a bowl.

This morning we went and picked up five new ducks. They're supposed to be Indian Runner, but one may be crossed with a magpie duck. One has a white collar stripe and the blue patch on the wing, so it may turn out looking like a mallard. One is a dark brown color with an olive green beak. Two more are brown, but have a lovely creamy color along the backs. The last one is black and white splashed (the mix). They're fully feathered, but they're still babies (they were eggs in the incubator back when we brought Josh and the first two ducks home on October 1). I brought them home in a large wire dog kennel, and transferred the kennel right in to the bunny barn when we got home. I left them in the kennel for the remainder of the day, allowing Leonardo, Tweak, Captain Barnacles, Dashi, and Josh to meet them and get to know one another behind the bars (though all the ducks could stick their heads out/in, so they were nuzzling and chatting a lot).

At night before bed, I closed up the bunny barn and let them out. They are flock animals and they went straight over to Josh and the ducks. I refilled the heated water bucket (that I brought in the bunny barn just for today and tomorrow while they're penned up), and they all gathered around it and drank. I refilled their food, and a few wandered over there. I hope that Josh is able to keep command of his now large flock of ducks. He started with two, then four, and now he has nine. A couple days in the bunny barn together should help them to learn each others' languages and what is expected of them when Josh calls to herd them one way or another.

Josh is an awesome guard goose for the ducks. We've had bald eagles come to the yard a few times, we've had hawks circle over the fields while they were out, but so far (knock on wood) we have had no predatory losses because Josh keeps them safe, running them back into the barn or into the trees for cover when aerial predators are spotted. I highly recommend a goose as a flock guardian! That said, ours are free range, so they aren't likely to get stuck against a fence or pulled through a fence, it would be hard to corner them.

New arrivals survived their first car ride, and were scared, but they'll be happy with their new flock.

If sexing by the noise they make is accurate, I'd say we have four girls and a boy here - but that would mean the bow-tie striped one is a girl, and it's looking a lot like Captain Barnacles looked when he first arrived (before his gorgeous green adult feathers came in over his head).

So far just the one with the white neck stripe has a potential name. It reminds me so much of a bow tie that I wanted to call him Matt, after Matt Smith, who plays The Doctor on Doctor Who (he always wears bow ties, because "bow ties are cool"), but then the name wouldn't fit if the duck is a girl. So perhaps Mr. Smith, which can be changed to Ms. Smith if it turns out to be a lady. Or maybe we can scrap that and name them all collectively... Gem names, like Pearl, Ruby, Amethyst, Onyx, and Opal. Or maybe nature names like Twig, Brook, Branch, Stone, or Pebble. Or flower names (Marigold, Peony, Zinnia, Pansy, and Petunia)... or herb names (Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Basil, and Sage). But I get ahead of myself. I need to wait until they mature to see which ones grow the curled tail feathers (boys).

When we returned from getting the ducks, as we pulled up I saw all of the chickens huddled outside the chicken coop. It's snowing and cold, and I wasn't sure right away why they were all outside. I went to go take a peek and here they'd bumped the door shut and couldn't get back in! As a result, the eggs in the nest box had gone cold, and Boss Lady has abandoned them. In a strange twist, there were only six in the box when I pulled them after she left them and they cracked. I searched for the seventh but didn't find it. Weird.

Today was also #4's Christmas program at school. I think she was more excited about being able to buy ice cream for #5 afterward using her own money than the actual singing.

And in other news, the chomp on Babylon's nose is much worse today. She's got a bit of a flap, and an open space, but she seems alright otherwise so far. She was a little hesitant to let me pick her up today, but I was careful not to touch her nose at all, so she will be more trusting tomorrow when I go to catch her to check how she's doing.

For dinner we'd planned to break in our new smoker that my parents bought us for Christmas. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it to work and have to return it tomorrow. The pork chops were wonderful, the brine and rub flavored them up nicely, despite not smoking them. Hopefully we can try the recipe again when we have a functioning smoker so we can fully appreciate the flavors.

I spent yesterday boiling the turkey carcass from Thanksgiving and then de-boning it. Tomorrow we're having turkey soup. I just have to add in the vegetables and cook it tomorrow and it's good to serve. Tasty!

Wow it was a busy day! I am really hoping that Tony gets up with kids and #5 lets me sleep in. What a day!